Here Comes the Coast Guard

[SummitKarl]

Well I guess it had to happen, I have been on the lake the last couple of days "it's spring break ya know" :D.....all the typical stuff "copper is full of rental boats", beer bongs hanging from the bow, and "hard wood floors" appear out of no where :sqeyes: because the water is still cold. whats different this year............. for the first time that I have seen....Fully staffed coast guard boats and not just one...but 5 of them heading right for copper, they are the Skiff's (I think), Like a big Zodiac..with about 5 guys per boat.
These guys are serious!!!!!!!!!! for some reason the flotilla of party boats drifted out into the entrance of copper and the Coast guard just in-circled the group, and were picking them off one right after another till nothing was left
I wonder if this a new switch in who is going to patrol the lake or if this is just a spring break deal.....
either way........Thank god I very rarely drink or even have booze on my boat.
MAKE DAMN SURE YOUR LEGAL THIS YEAR.... vests, horn, Fire extinguisher ETC......... I am not kidding these Coast Guard guys are SERIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Havasu_Dreamin]

these Coast Guard guys are SERIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the problem is......

[SummitKarl]

And the problem is......
no problem at all to me... :cool:

[Tom Brown]

Hi Karl. :)

[SummitKarl]

Morning Tom :)

[NOTALENT]

Good to know...Thanks.

[Havasu_Dreamin]

no problem at all to me... :cool:
Nor me. All of us as boaters should take the time to make sure our boats meet the Federal and State requirements. And that includes the throw cushion NOT being tucked away under the hatch.

[Her454]

Boatcop, are there any stats that show the amount of boats stopped and the %'s of those boats that do NOT carry the property safety equipment....?
I think it would be a safe bet that most do not.................

[Jordy]

And that includes the throw cushion NOT being tucked away under the hatch.
Mine has to be tucked under the hatch or it's not staying in the boat. :D :D :D

[jbtrailerjim]

I hope they do this every weekend during the summer. Maybe there will be a few less idiot's on the water. :cool:

[Tom Brown]

Up here in Canada.... we have certain coast guard required safety equipment. I think it's pretty similar to what you folks have.
Anyway... we can go over to Canadian Tire... or Walmart... and pick up a kit for about 20 bucks that has everything we need to make us legal except PFDs. The thing comes in a container that even doubles as a bail bucket.
It's just not that hard.

[Hardly Satisfied]

:rollside: :rollside:

[phebus]

At the city council meeting in regards to the channel, one of the proposals by the police dept. was to bring the Coast Guard back to the lake. I wonder if a formal request was made by the city, or if the Coast Guard just stepped up enforcement on it's own.

[Her454]

In a container that even doubles as a bail bucket.
ROTFLMAO! :rollside:

[Mandelon]

Makes the lower river that much more appealing.... :cool:

[hoolign]

Up here in Canada.... we have certain coast guard required safety equipment. I think it's pretty similar to what you folks have.
Anyway... we can go over to Canadian Tire... or Walmart... and pick up a kit for about 20 bucks that has everything we need to make us legal except PFDs. The thing comes in a container that even doubles as a bail bucket.
It's just not that hard.
Thye little orange mustang kits ..they also double a s a great jack and coke container! :D

[Tom Brown]

Thye little orange mustang kits ..they also double a s a great jack and coke conatiner!
Someone should make a foam insert so we can all start using them as coolie cups. :D

[Biglue]

Yeah. Someone should make a foam insert so we can all start using them as coolie cups. :D
For 40 ouncers. :crossx:

[Havasu_Dreamin]

I hope they do this every weekend during the summer. Maybe there will be a few less idiot's on the water. :cool:
I agree. Quite possibly this may go a long way towards curbing the potential problems that everyone speaks of.

[BarryMac]

Makes the lower river that much more appealing.... :cool:
Shhhh, god damnit!!!

[SummitKarl]

Shhhh, god damnit!!!
hey did you hear that ...................FREE BEER!!!!!!!!! At Martinez

[waterwitch]

I hope they do this every weekend during the summer. Maybe there will be a few less idiot's on the water. :cool:
I couldn't agree more! Maybe, just Maybe, Havasu
is getting a little more intelligent and standing by their
zero tolerance ordinance.
MUCH better then parking meters! :rolleyes:

[andy01]

THis is good news. If they make it a "harder place to party" maybe more people will stop going and I will start going again. I think it is great they stop all that crap. The people with the rental boats have no idea how much most boats cost, much less becareful docking and such. I don't drink at all but everybody in my boat is more then welcome to, I just don't think a rookie needs to drink and drive out there. I am all for having a good time, just a good safe time. Most people just want to have a good time and that is it, as a boat owner it is YOUR responsiblity to see to it that everybody that leaves in your boat comes back safe in your boat. Even if your a DD, watch over your passangers. The last thing anybody wants to do is go to the river for the weekend and come back with one less friend. Laws are in place for our own good, like it or not it.
Andy

[andy01]

And one more thing, if you get stopped out there offer the cops a water or soda. They are just doing thier job, you have a job to do and so do they.
Andy

[donzi5150]

I am not from this region......Louisiana and Florida, but what Coast is the Coast Guard protecting? Just a thought........

[NOTALENT]

Hey Karl.....what no pics???? :mad: :crossx:

[burtandnancy]

Our lakes and rivers are mostly in National Parks, maybe thats the reason. However we also have the NPS, Fish and Game, county sheriffs and maybe others. When we have a serious incedent, you never who or how many LEO's will show up...

[Havasu_Dreamin]

I am not from this region......Louisiana and Florida, but what Coast is the Coast Guard protecting? Just a thought........
The US Coast Guard has jurisdiction on all Federal waterways. The Colorado River, of which Lake Havasu is part of, is a Federal waterway. As an FYI, there are at least 9 different agencies with law enforcement responsibilities on Lake Havasu:
1. Lake Havasu City PD
2. Mohave County (AZ) SD
3. La Paz County (AZ) SD
4. San Bernardino County (CA) SD
5. Arizona Game and Fish
6. California Fish and Game
7. US Fish and Wildlife Service
8. Bureau of Land Management
9. US Coast Guard

[PlyaPlya22]

Good to know...Thanks.
If they are under 21, don't let'em drink!

[RiverDave]

I'm all for safety as well, but what warrants just stopping anybody and everybody?
My personal favorite is when the cops come up nowdays and say I'm stopping you for a safety check, and they shove a breathylizer in your face.. No looking at lifejackets etc.. WTF? I'm not real worried about the breathylizer, but I gotta wonder at what point harassment starts to squash goodtimes. If goodtimes go away then what's the point of going to the river?
RD

[NOTALENT]

If they are under 21, don't let'em drink!
Exactly. They wont even be on my boat....I wont chance it. I will bring her up in 2 weeks, when I wont be hitting the clubs or doing any serious partying...keep that at the house.. :crossx:
Oh yeah...As of today my brother is a bouncer at kokohos!!! Now I know 3 bouncers and the hottest bartender Ambur!!! keeps getting better... :crossx:

[NOTALENT]

I'm all for safety as well, but what warrants just stopping anybody and everybody?
My personal favorite is when the cops come up nowdays and say I'm stopping you for a safety check, and they shove a breathylizer in your face.. No looking at lifejackets etc.. WTF? I'm not real worried about the breathylizer, but I gotta wonder at what point harassment starts to squash goodtimes. If goodtimes go away then what's the point of going to the river?
RD
It's happened to me.....can you call them on this and report it???

[Havasu_Dreamin]

If goodtimes go away then what's the point of going to the river?
RD
At the risk of kicking off a boating and drinking debate I guess it depends on your definition of a good time.
If the definition is, not saying this is your definition Dave more of a general statement for debates sake, is to drink and get intoxicated and then drive a boat at any speed then perhaps the "safety checks" are worth it in possibly reducing the drunken boater. Obviously that is an extreme example.
If the definition of a good time is letting everyone else on your boat drink, get as plowed as they want to while having a non-drinking designated driver, then safety check in essence becomes an annoyance. If you haven't been drinking and they put a breathalyzer in front of you then you are good to go, assuming all of your safety equipment is good to go as well. Sure, it sucks to get singled out and stopped and delayed to where you are going, but if it gets one jackass off the water that could potentially harm you or your friends, then I think it's an annoyance that can be tolerated.
That’s just my $.50 on the whole deal.

[Biglue]

It's happened to me.....can you call them on this and report it???
Just run from them. :crossx:

[Windy]

THis is good news. If they make it a "harder place to party" maybe more people will stop going and I will start going again. I think it is great they stop all that crap. The people with the rental boats have no idea how much most boats cost, much less becareful docking and such. I don't drink at all but everybody in my boat is more then welcome to, I just don't think a rookie needs to drink and drive out there. I am all for having a good time, just a good safe time. Most people just want to have a good time and that is it, as a boat owner it is YOUR responsiblity to see to it that everybody that leaves in your boat comes back safe in your boat. Even if your a DD, watch over your passangers. The last thing anybody wants to do is go to the river for the weekend and come back with one less friend. Laws are in place for our own good, like it or not it.
Andy
When we goen boating again... :)

[SoCalSouthpaw]

....
http://www.uscg.mil/datasheet/images/WHEC-378.jpg
:crossx:

[RiverDave]

At the risk of kicking off a boating and drinking debate I guess it depends on your definition of a good time.
If the definition is, not saying this is your definition Dave more of a general statement for debates sake, is to drink and get intoxicated and then drive a boat at any speed then perhaps the "safety checks" are worth it in possibly reducing the drunken boater. Obviously that is an extreme example.
If the definition of a good time is letting everyone else on your boat drink, get as plowed as they want to while having a non-drinking designated driver, then safety check in essence becomes an annoyance. If you haven't been drinking and they put a breathalyzer in front of you then you are good to go, assuming all of your safety equipment is good to go as well. Sure, it sucks to get singled out and stopped and delayed to where you are going, but if it gets one jackass off the water that could potentially harm you or your friends, then I think it's an annoyance that can be tolerated.
That’s just my $.50 on the whole deal.
Well then lets debate to debate.. LOL Even though I think you already know what I was saying.
Goodtimes = anything fun.
Now lets start with the definition of not goodtimes aka bad times.
Would you be willing to concede the point that getting stopped by johnny law would be considered by most to not be a fun experience aka bad times? I just want to know that before going any further in the debate. ;) :D This is gonna get good Scott. :D
RD

[Never Too Old]

I wonder how they select the Coasties that get the Havasu spring break assignment...
If they put that on the recruitment poster, they'd have long lines to enlist.

[phebus]

Would you be willing to concede the point that getting stopped by johnny law would be considered by most to not be a fun experience aka bad times?
One year at Powell we were stopped for a safety check going through the no wake cut area. I hadn't had a thing to drink, and had all the necessary safety equiptment on board. Even though I understood they were doing their job, and was I was polite and corteous to them, it was a major pain in the ass. They had a checklist they slowly worked their way through, and everything checked out fine. It was an experience I'd rather never go through again.

[Havasu_Dreamin]

Would you be willing to concede the point that getting stopped by johnny law would be considered by most to not be a fun experience aka bad times? I just want to know that before going any further in the debate. ;) :D This is gonna get good Scott. :D
RD
I can see another epic thread/debate coming! :D
Yes, most people probably view getting stopped, whether it be on the water or in the car, as not fun. That sinking feeling so to speak.
Where I am coming from is that if I know I have done nothing wrong then to me personally it is more of an annoyance. I am willing to put up with the annoyance factor if those stypes of stops are getting un-educated/idiot/reckless boaters off of the water.
I will agree if you are continually stopped then there might be a case of harassment involved.

[burtandnancy]

You know there old story, there's never a cop around when you need one. But my experience one time was perfect. Blew a motor in the narrows, called channel 16, told the operator where I was, and she told me to look about 100 yards ahead and there was an NPS Officer sitting there. He pulled me into Callville where my trailer awaited. Funny thing, he towed me at about 3 MPH but made me wear my life jacket (and it was at least 115 out there). He also wore his pfd...

[Ziggy]

You know there old story, there's never a cop around when you need one. But my experience one time was perfect. Blew a motor in the narrows, called channel 16, told the operator where I was, and she told me to look about 100 yards ahead and there was an NPS Officer sitting there. He pulled me into Callville where my trailer awaited. Funny thing, he towed me at about 3 MPH but made me wear my life jacket (and it was at least 115 out there). He also wore his pfd...
Boy did you hit it on the nail.....nobody wants them around when they're doing/done something wrong but if they need them then its like WTF are they?, why aren't they here yet?...blah, blah, blah.
Its a major annoyance to be stopped for a "Safety Check" but if there wasn't so many problems or accidents there wouldn't anything to discuss.

[SummitKarl]

Hey Karl.....what no pics???? :mad: :crossx:
sorry I forgot the Camera, but I did complete the pre-launch safety check list :)
OH............BTW everyone....THE SAND BAR GRILL is now open again :) .....They just got to have best burgers in town.
I highly recommend the "Double Beach Burger" followed by a NAP :rolleyes:

[2Driver]

THis is good news. If they make it a "harder place to party" maybe more people will stop going and I will start going again. I think it is great they stop all that crap.
Exactly my feelings. Lose the 15-20% of the people that ruin it for the rest of us that like to enjoy the lake and party responsibly. While they are at it do the same thing around town with other agencies.

[Havasu Cig]

You know there old story, there's never a cop around when you need one. But my experience one time was perfect. Blew a motor in the narrows, called channel 16, told the operator where I was, and she told me to look about 100 yards ahead and there was an NPS Officer sitting there. He pulled me into Callville where my trailer awaited. Funny thing, he towed me at about 3 MPH but made me wear my life jacket (and it was at least 115 out there). He also wore his pfd...
I was in a boat that was sinking about three miles off Oceanside and called channel 16 and got the Coast Guard. They said they were not going to respond but they would notify the Harbor Police. At first I was like "WHAT THE F@#$"? but the Harbor Patrol arrived in time pumped out the boat and escorted us Code 3 into the Harbor and onto the trailer. Looking back after the incident I realized that it was probably faster to have the Harbor Patrol respond, but at the time I was a little concerned.
BTW, I hope the L.E. agencies step up their enforcement out there with the people that are causing the problems. :cool:

[ColeTR2]

....
http://www.uscg.mil/datasheet/images/WHEC-378.jpg
That's almost as big as some of the boat that run here on the river ( Parker )!